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Fencing - Invention
Whilst fencing has been around since the iron age, fences were first used on a widespread scale at the beginning of the industrial revolution. They were used by the rich to mark their land and prevent peasant farmers from using it. -
Jethro Tull's Seed Drill - Invention Pt 2
Beforehand, the rows were ploughed with tools and seeds were tossed into the rows. Some seeds would end up growing but most would just blow away or were eaten by birds and other animals. -
Jethro Tull's Seed Drill - Invention
One of the first inventions that kicked of the agricultural revolution was Jethro Tull’s seed drill. The seed drill was designed by Jethro Tull in 1701, marking what was really the beginning of change in Britain and all over the world. The seed drill was made from wood and ploughed 3 rows at a time. As the rows were being ploughed, seeds were dropped and then covered over again. This revolutionised the game and increased productivity. -
Blast Furnace - Invention
The blast furnace was invented by Abraham Darby in 1709. The Blast Furnace allowed for the production of high-quality iron which allowed for much sturdier iron products. -
Atmospheric Engine - Invention
Atmospheric Engine was first invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. This engine was the first ever practical steam engine to be made. The most common use for the engine was to pump water of out mines. These engines were used up until James Watt invented his steam engine which was twice as efficient in terms of fuel. -
“Turnip” Townshend Crop Rotation - Event
Turnip Townshend is famous across England for changing the crop rotation that had been used for many hundreds of years. Before, farmers used a system where they had 3 fields. One grew barley, another grew wheat, and another was fallow (empty). This allowed for the nutrients in the soil to renew as animals grazed on it. Every year the crop growing on the field was changed to either barley, wheat or fallow. The method that “Turnip” Townshend had been used in Holland. -
"Turnip" Townshend Crop Rotation Pt 2 - Event
This consisted of one field growing turnips, another growing cloves, another growing wheat and another growing barley. The cloves and turnips did the same as fallow and allowed essential nutrients to become plentiful in the soil. The cloves and turnips also meant that animals didn’t need to be slaughtered before winter as now they could continue to feed them. The crop rotation was introduced in around 1730. -
Rotherham Plough - Invention
The Rotherham Plough was invented by Joseph Folijambe in 1730. The plough was pulled by two horses and operated by 1 person. This plough was quicker and more efficient than using traditional ploughs and was a lot cheaper to use than a seed drill. -
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Major Outbreaks of Disease - Event
Due to population explosions and poor waste management in the Industrial Revolution, disease was a common occurrence. Diseases such as Tuberculosis, Typhoid, Cholera and Influenza occurred many a time. Tuberculosis was responsible for around 1/3 of all deaths in England and the disease cholera was nicknamed King Cholera due to its infectiousness and just how deadly it was. -
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Major Outbreaks of Disease Pt 2 - Event
These disease outbreaks were helped with the fact there were no laws on industrial waste as well as the facts that rivers like the River Thames and other waterways acted as dumps for rubbish. Treatments for these diseases weren’t effective and many being used were the same that were used in Medieval Times such as using leeches to suck out blood, etc. -
Spinning Jenny - Invention
The spinning Jenny was first built in 1764 by James Hargreaves and was named after his daughter, Jenny, who gave James the idea after she had knocked over the family spinning wheel. The Spinning Jenny is a cotton spinning machine that drastically sped up the process of making different textiles. -
Boulton Watt Steam Engine - Inventions
James Watt invented his steam engine in 1769. Parts of it were based on Thomas Newcomen’s Engine but this steam engine was much more efficient and is regarded as the first modern steam engine. The engine was used throughout factories as it was the first engine capable of producing continuous power. -
US Independence - Event
The US independence occurred on the 4th of July, 1776 and saw England’s 13 colonies in America and fight for their freedom. This resulted in England having to find a new place to send convicts to and saw the beginning of a world power. Trade and resources from America would no longer be sent to England (for a little while). -
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The Luddite Movement - Event
The Luddites were a secret society in England from around 1780s to 1813. They were made up of Textile Artisans who opposed the use of machinery as it took over their jobs leaving them unemployed. The group was named after Ned Ludd who is supposed to have smashed a machine in 1779. Whether he existed or not is debatable. Luddites would often meet outside town during the night to plan and coordinate their attacks on factories. -
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The Luddite Movement Pt 2 - Event
Once the time was right, they’d break into factories and smash the machines that were taking their jobs. The movement had harsh penalties for those that were caught. Punishments included hanging or transportation to different colonies in Australia. -
Boulton Watt Steam Engine First Used in Factories - Event
The Boulton Watt steam engine was introduced into Factories in 1785. This revolutionized the way that factories and trains could run as this engine produced continuous power, meaning that as long as coal was fed, it would run. -
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French Revolution - Event
The French Revolution saw the end of Monarchy in France, and saw Napoleon becoming the first French Consulate. The Revolution lasted for 12 years from 1787 and 1799 and saw figures of high society killed. The result of the revolution was a much higher quality of life for 98% of the country that were made up of peasants, etc and also more democracy. -
First Fleet - Event
As a result of the US’s Independence from Great Britain, England had to find a place to send their convicts. Their answer was Australia. On the 13th of May 1787, 11 ships left England for Botany Bay in Australia. Upon arrival, Botany Bay was found to be unsuitable so 2 days later, they settled in Port Jackson (now Sydney). This resulted in what would become a new country, as well as a key trade partner for Great Britain. Colonies were later set up in places such as Hobart in 1804. -
Gas Lighting - Invention
– Gas lights were invented by William Murdoch and were developed in the 1790’s and introduced into factories in the 1810’s. They were a lot cheaper to use than other methods of lighting and meant that work in factories could continue throughout the night. By 1823, over 50 towns in England were lit with these gas lights. -
Combination Act - Event
The Combination act was passed in 1799 and also saw an additional act passed in 1800. The act meant that workers couldn’t stand up and fight for rights as well as form unions as it was now illegal and resulted in harsh punishments. This Act lasted until 1824 which saw workers stand up against this law that resulted in Combinations of Workmen Act of 1825. -
Robert Owens Housing and Healthcare - Event
A factory owner, Robert Owens, was a leader of the idea of Utopia. He realised that factory workers were much more productive when happy, healthy and well educated. He supplied his factory workers with housing, healthcare, better working conditions, a nursery to those aged under 6 (this was the first in England) and also education to those that he deemed too young to work (age 6 – 10). Children aged 10 – 18 could work but not terribly long hours. This idea was considered revolutionary. -
The Train - Invention
The first train to be made and complete a journey was built by Richard Trevithick and was called the Penydarren Tram Road Engine. This train ran on a small railway line in South Wales and was used for transporting goods to and from a tin mine as well as workers. It made its first journey on February 21st, 1804. -
Trade Unionism - Event
During the 1820’s trade unionism rose rapidly. It had been illegal up until 1824 where a law was passed across England legalizing it. From there it grew rapidly. With Trade Unionism came events such as strikes like the 1820 rising in Scotland which saw up to 60,000 people go on strike. As this was illegal, the strike was shut down quickly. Strikes were an important part of getting laws passed to improve working conditions, etc. -
Factory Act 1833 - Event
The Factory Act of 1833 saw changes to factory employment. Children under 8 could no longer work. Children ages 9 – 13 could work no more than 9 hours a day and children aged 13 – 18 couldn’t work any more than 12 hours a day. The act also saw 4 people across all of England employed to inspect factories as well as children no longer being able to work at night. -
Workers Rights Demand - Event
This event resulted in more worker's rights after they had been demanded. -
Telegraph - Invention
The Telegraph was developed during the 1830’s and 1840’s by most notably Samuel Morse, as well as a couple other inventors. It was one of the firsts method of long distance communication and enable different parts of the world to connect. The telegraph transmitted electrical signals over a wire which ran between different telegraph stations. Codes were developed for the telegraph to determine what the different signals meant, most notably Morse Code. -
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Potato Famine - Event
The potato famine was a famine in Ireland that caused mass starvation, death, disease and immigration. The famine lasted from 1845 to 1849 and saw a potato blight, causing potato crops to fail. A potato blight is a disease that destroys the leaves and the roots of the potatoes. This caused mass starvation as Ireland mainly grew and ate Potatoes. During this time, Irelands population dropped by up to 30% (over 1 million). -
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Potato Famine Pt 2 - Event
Many of the Irish fled to places like England and America. The death toll numbered over a million people. -
Telephone - Invention Pt 2
Following on from this invention, communication between people wasn’t limited to the same proximity or by words and it allowed for inventions such as the mobile phone much later on. -
Telephone - Invention
The telephone is an invention that has allowed us to all feel closer to people. The person who invented the telephone is debated but it is largely regarded as Alexander Bell who filed a patent for it on the 14th of February 1876 in the US. Elisha Gray is said to have filed a caveat on the same day as Alexander Bell but as I mentioned before, it is debatable. -
Henry Ford Production Line Car - Invention
Towards the end of the industrial revolution, cars were starting to be produced. The only problem was they were expensive to make and manufacture. Henry Ford solved that when he invented the first moving assembly line for cars, which was opened on December 1st 1913, at the very end of the Industrial Revolution. This allowed cars to be produce en mass and paved the way for cheaper transportation and production of cars and other automobiles.
